Partially Implantable Hearing Aid

• US 20110280426A1
• Filed: 01/21/2009
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG (Sonova Holding AG), Phonak AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Phonak AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Bachler, Herbert
• Granted Patent: US 8,625,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/328
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/31 Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/57 Aspects of electrical interconnection between hearing aid parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/60 Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles ear wax retarders, e.g. mounting thereof H04R25/654
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/606 acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window

Abstract

A partially implantable hearing aid is provided, comprising an external audio signal unit to be worn at least in part in a user'"'"'s ear canal, an implantable unit and external means for transmitting power transcutaneously to the implantable unit via an inductive link, the external audio signal unit comprising audio signal processing means for producing processed audio signals from input audio signals and means for transmitting the processed audio signals via an optical link through an ear drum to an optical receiver of the implantable unit, the implantable unit comprising an actuator for stimulating the user'"'"'s hearing, a power receiving means and a driver unit for transforming the received audio signals into an input signal to the actuator.

Claims

1. A partially implantable hearing aid comprising:

an external audio signal unit to be worn at least in part in a user'"'"'s ear canal,

an implantable unit, and

an external means for transmitting power transcutaneously to the implantable unit via an inductive link,

wherein the external audio signal unit comprises an audio signal processing means for producing processed audio signals from input audio signals and means for transmitting the processed audio signals via an optical link through an ear drum to an optical receiver of the implantable unit, and

wherein the implantable unit comprises an actuator for stimulating a user'"'"'s hearing, a power receiving means and a driver unit for transforming received audio signals into an input signal to the actuator.

2. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the external means for transmitting power is a charging adapter and wherein the power receiving means comprises a rechargeable battery.

3. The hearing aid of claim 2, wherein the rechargeable battery is for being located in a mastoid.

4. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the external audio signal unit comprises at least one microphone for generating the input audio signals.

5. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the external audio signal unit is designed as a CIC device.

6. The hearing aid claim 1, wherein the external audio signal unit is designed as a BTE device and wherein a light source of the audio signal transmitter is to be located in the user'"'"'s ear canal.

7. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the audio signal transmitter comprises a LED to be located in the user'"'"'s ear canal.

8. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the optical receiver comprises a photo diode to be located in a middle ear.

9. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a cochlear electrode.

10. The hearing aid of claim 9, wherein the optical receiver comprises:

a photo diode,

a light collecting means located in a middle ear for collecting light received from the external audio signal unit and

an optical fiber for passing light from the light collecting means to the photo diode.

11. The hearing aid of claim 10, wherein the photo diode is for being located in a mastoid.

12. The hearing aid of claim 9, wherein the driver unit is for being located in a mastoid.

13. The hearing aid of claim 12, wherein the driver unit is located in a housing common with the rechargeable battery.

14. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the actuator is an electromechanical transducer to be coupled to an ossicle or to a cochlear wall.

15. The hearing aid of claim 14, wherein the driver unit is for being located in a middle ear.

16. The hearing aid of claim 14, wherein the driver unit is designed as a H-bridge circuit triggered by a photo diode.

17. The hearing aid of claim 16, wherein the photo diode and the driver unit are packaged in glass.